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Politics

Hands type at a computer with bar graphs on screen, other hands hold questionnaires.
Society

Can you believe the polls? It depends

A veteran of survey research explains why high-quality polling matters — and warns of the proliferation of shoddy gimmicks

A conceptual illustration shows a city street with people standing on each side, some holding placards. One side is colored red, the other blue. There are political posters on the walls and a huge chasm in the middle of the street.
Society

Divided we stand: The rise of political animosity

Scientists peered into the partisan abyss. Here’s what they found.

Conceptual collage shows two upset parents with some large, accusing fingers pointed at them. In the background is a teenager holding a placard with his details on it, as if posing for a mug shot.
Society

When are parents responsible for their kids’ behavior?

A researcher weighs in on who’s accountable, when and why, in the eyes of the law — and whether the measures work as intended

Photo of an older man holding a framed, transparent prism, which partly blocks and distorts his face.
Society

The atomic bomb, exile and a test of brotherly bonds: Robert and Frank Oppenheimer

A rift in thinking about who should control powerful new technologies sent the brothers on diverging paths. For one, the story ended with a mission to bring science to the public.

Photograph of molten metal being poured from a bucket in a metal workshop
Food & Environment

A big boost to Europe’s climate change goals

The bloc aims to become the first carbon-neutral continent. A new policy called CBAM will assist its ambitions — and may persuade other countries to follow in its footsteps.

Abstract illustration representing rising student debt, showing graduates in cap-and-gown attire, a laptop and dollar signs.
Society

The knotty economics of student loan debt

People in the US owe a whopping $1.7 trillion for higher education. An economist weighs in on how to deal with the ballooning college tab.

Photo shows a mural of a man with black hair and mustache in front of a landscape with city lights, mountains and the sunset. The words “Barrio Pablo Escobar” are on the left. On the right it says: “Bienvenidos” (Welcome) along with the slogan “Aquí se respira paz” (Here we breathe peace).
Society

When criminals rule the land

In Latin America, tens of millions of people live in territories that are governed by outlaws — from powerful drug cartels to crime syndicates. What can be done to restore legitimate law and order?

An abstract green and black illustration of global commerce data shown in bar and line charts
Society

The obscure calculation transforming climate policy

After long debate, economists and philosophers are reaching consensus on how to value future generations

A photograph shows huge clouds of black smoke darkening the sky above the containers and other structures of an oil storage facility. Flames are also visible.
Society

Russia is guilty of ecocide

OPINION: All perpetrators of environmental destruction should be held accountable

Three people with small backpacks walk through the desert along the base of a wall topped with razor wire.
Society

An archaeological look at modern refugees

The techniques of archaeology, usually used to study the past, also illuminate the experiences of today’s displaced people

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Health & Disease

This myth about guns is killing us

OPINION: The idea that gun violence prevention research is at odds with gun rights is just not true

Cartoon-style illustration of a snazzy, turquoise electric car being fueled up. The background is black with a lot of hexagons on it.
Society

Make electric vehicles affordable for the rest of us

OPINION: EV subsidies are poorly designed and mostly benefit the rich. Some simple changes could make them more effective and equitable.

A participant in an experiment on giving people a long-term universal basic income stands outside her house holding oranges she has bought from a man leaning on bicycle in Kenya.
Society

Can science solve the poverty problem?

 An evidence-based policy movement is arming the fight with tools and programs that are more effective than ever before

Can ranked-choice voting heal our poisoned politics?
Society

Can ranked-choice voting heal our poisoned politics?

The electoral reform also known as instant-runoff voting promises bridge-building and broad appeal instead of culture war and gridlock

Illustration of a mouth with megaphone and collage of items representing conspiracy theories coming out of it.
Society

The psychology and politics of conspiracy theories

VIDEO: In the past year, conspiracy theories have had a big impact on politics and public health. What makes them so appealing? How can we disrupt their influence? Join us to explore these issues and more.

Illustration combines images of forest fires, a going-out-of-business sign, Black Lives Matter protestors holding a sign, riot police defending the US Capitol, people wearing face masks to protect themselves from Covid-19, and an empty city street during the pandemic lockdowns.
Society

It’s time for a government reset — and the ideas are flourishing

It started with thinking about sustainability. But after the many traumas of 2020, a lot of people are determined to make some fundamental changes in the machinery of governance.

Trump supporters carrying “Stop the Steal” signs gather in front of the US Capitol.
Society

Should we cancel political parties?

Throughout the world, traditional political organizations are increasingly seen as dysfunctional. But can democracies live without them?

Photo shows an unhoused man with his belongings resting in a covered bus stop in Washington, DC, in February 2021. A digital sign in the bus stop tracks upticks in the US national debt.
Society

The danger of high public debt is not what you think

OPINION: An overlooked consequence of huge deficit spending during the Covid-19 pandemic could be further loss of public trust in the government

Photo illustration of someone looking at information about mifepristone, used to terminate early pregnancies, on their smartphone.
Health & Disease

Abortions can happen safely — and entirely — at home

OPINION: The pandemic has taught us how we can deliver better care to patients who seek to terminate pregnancies. Now if only science could triumph over politics.

A classic mural displays a host of human figures of varied ages, affluence and ethnicity, including Native Americans, against a backdrop of ships, locomotives, buildings under construction and a covered wagon.
Society

American individualism and our collective crisis

Our national and social identity is deeply rooted in values like freedom, equality and order. A political scientist explores how these ideas affected the US response to the pandemic.

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